Self-unloading bag



P. J. EHLINGER SELF-UNLOADING BAG May 13, 1969 Sheet Filed D90. 19, 1967 F M Ji 7 m May 13, 1969 P. J. EHLINGER SELF-UNLOADING BAG Sheet of 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1967 a 2 M M a H 7. ZJ Q //\wm/\ 2. UN 5 a o 5 8 8 7 3 L z w mmillfi 4 4 I l IIllw l M 4 i: 3 Q L 7 M M United States Patent US. Cl. 294-71 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A collapsible bag for use with large quantities of material handled in bulk is constructed of a heavy gauge plastic and has a bottom openin for dumping. The bottom opening is sealed by an inner flap and a pair of outer flaps which overlay the inner flap and have reinforced edges normally secured together. The top of the bag receives a cover, and has two slots which receive lifting brackets for handling by any conventional hoist, fork lift truck etc.

Sum mazy of invention The invention provides a collapsible bag or container constructed of heavy plastic which can be utilized to handle materials in bulk such as fertilizer. The bag can be collapsed when empty to a flat package less than tWO inches thick for storage purposes. The filled bags can be stacked without causing bursting of the walls of the lower bags.

The bag is provided with upper and lower openings respectively for filling the container and removing container contents. The bottom opening is sealed by three flaps, a large inner flap having one edge preferably glued to the bottom wall of the container which covers the bottom opening and two smaller outer flaps which swing inwardly and meet at the approximate center of the opening. Adjacent edges of the outer flaps are reinforced, preferably by being formed into sleeves which receive pipes. One of the pipes pivotally carries a pair of U-shaped loops which can be pivoted to enclose the ends of the other pipe to secure the pipes in abutting relation, thus locking the bottom orifice closed.

The top of the bag includes a frame which may be wooden and which is preferably glued to the plastic bag. The frame may be provided with a recess on the inner margin to receive a cover which may be secured to the frame by a pair of turn buttons which are pivotally mounted on the cover and which engage lateral slots in the frame.

The invention also includes a pair of unique lifting brackets and a lifting bar to facilitate lifting of the bag by a fork lift truck or the like. The lifting brackets include a shank with a lower T or cross member at the lower end which projects through a slot in the wooden frame. The tops of the lifting brackets are provided with hangers having rectangular openings which receive the ends of a composite lifting bar.

The novel inter-engagement of the brackets, slots and bars permits ready disassembly but cannot come apart in use. A pocket provides a secure, visible storage for invoices, bills of lading, etc.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following disclosure.

Drawings FIGURE 1 is a full perspective view of a self-unloading bag in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the bag shown in FIGURE 1 along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIGURE 1.

3,443,832 Patented May 13, 1969 FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the lifting bar and lifting brackets in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the lifting bar and a lifting bracket shown in FIGURE 4. FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bottom closure for the bag.

FIGURE 7 is afragmentary bottom view of the bottom closure.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view on line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a self-unloading bag in accordance with the invention which is generally designated 10 and which is desirably constructed of a heavy plastic or synthetic material. The bag includes rectangular side walls 11 and a rectangular bottom wall 12. Lateral support and reinforcement for the side walls is afforded by plastic strips 13 running parallel to the top and bottom edges 14 and 15 of the side walls 11.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the bag 10 is provided With an orifice 16 in the bottom wall 12 for removal of the sack contents. In accordance with the invention, the bag 10 is provided with a closure 18 for orifice 16. Referring to FIGURE 6, the closure 18 includes an inner flap or first fiap 20 which has an edge 21 secured to the bottom wall 12 preferably by glue or a heat seal, and has three free edges, thus to form a fly which closes the orifice 16. The flap 20 is held in position across orifice 16 by a flap 22 which has an edge 24 glued or otherwise secured to the bottom wall 12 and a flap 26 having an edge 28 secured to the bottom wall 12 on the opposite side of orifice 16.

Means are provided to secure the end flaps 22 and 26 together to retain inner flap 20 across the orifice 16. In the disclosed construction, such means includes sleeve portions 30 and 32 respectively formed from the free inner edges of the flaps 22 and 26. Rigid members or rods 34 and 36 extend through the respective sleeve portions 30 and 32. As shown in FIGURE 6, the sleeves 30 and 32 are in abutting engagement when the flaps 22, 26 are closed. The rods 34 and 36 are secured together in the closed position by U-shaped members 38 having side legs 40. The U-shaped members 38 are pivoted to rod 34 by a cross pin 42 extending through the legs 40. The U- shaped members 38 are movable to enclose the rod 34 in the closed end of member 38 to maintain the rods 34 and 36 in snug abutting relationship. A loop of wire 44 extends through an aperture 46 in the side legs 40 and through an aperture 48 in the rod 34 to secure the U-shaped member 38 in the position shown in FIGURE 7.

As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the bag 10 has a rectangular wooden frame 50 which includes parallel reinforcing bars 52. The frame 50 is secured to the side walls by inturned flaps 54 which are glued or otherwise secured to the frame 50.

The bag .10 is filled by removal of cover 51 which is received in an inner recess or inturned shoulder 56 in the frame 50' with the margins of the cover 51 resting on the shoulder 56. The cover is provided with a pocket 53 which may be transparent, for invoices, bills of lading, etc. The cover 51 is secured to the frame by a pair of turn buttons 58 which engage lateral slots 60 in the frame as shown in FIGURE 2.

In accordance with the invention, the bag 10 is provided with lifting brackets 62 (FIGURES 4 and 5) which receive a composite lifting bar 64. The lifting brackets 62 include a shank 66 having a lower threaded portion 68 and a cross or T portion 70. The T portion 70 is of a length just permitting insertion through slots 72 in frame members 52, and is clamped to the frame 52 by rotating the shank 66 to position the T portions 70 transverse to the slots 72, and by tightening thumb nuts 74 agaihst washers 76 which engage the frame 52. The lifting brackets 62 also include hangers 78 through which the shank 66 extends. The shank 66 may be welded or otherwise secured to the hanger 78. The hangers 78 have a rectangular eye 80 which is divided into two channel portions 81 by the shank 66. The channels 81 receive the composite lifting bar 64 which includes two bar members 82 and 84 separated by a spacer or center block 86.

When installing the lifting bar 64, one end of the bar 64 is inserted in one of the channels 81 of the lifting bracket 62. The nut 74 of the lifting bracket may be unthreaded to permit the bracket to be rotated out of alignment with the other bracket 62 to facilitate extending the lifting bar into the channel 81. The lifting bracket 62 is then rotated into alignment with the other bracket and the lifting bar extended into the channel of the other bracket. The nut 74 may then be tightened. As thus positioned, the lifting bar will maintain the T portions 70 at right angles to the slots 72 to prevent the brackets from disengaging the frame 50.

The lifting bar serves to permit lifting of the bag by any conventional hoist or fork lift truck or other conveyor mechanism capable of lifting a package or bag from above. For instance, the bag 10 may be held under the spout of a fertilizer or grain bin with cover 51 removed for filling. In the alternative, the bag 16 may be located or held over a bin or storage hopper which is to receive the contents of the bag and the orifice 16 opened.

I claim:

.1. A bag for handling heavy bulk loads comprising a plastic body having a bottom orifice, a first flap secured along one edge to said plastic body and movable to cover said orifice, a second flap having one edge secured to said plastic body and movable to cover a portion of said first flap, a third flap having one edge secured to said plastic body on the opposite side of said orifice from said second flap, said third flap being movable toward said second flap, said second and third flaps having adjacent inner edges, means for securing the adjacent edges of said second and third flaps together, a rigid top frame secured to said plastic body, lifting brackets for said top frame, said lifting brackets having shanks, means for securing said lifting brackets to said top frame, a lifting bar, and means for securing said lifting brackets to said lifting bar.

2. A bag in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for securing said edges of said second and third flaps together comprises sleeves formed in the adjacent edges of said second and third flaps, and rigid members located within each of said sleeves, and means for locking said rigid members together,

3. A big in accordance with claim 2 wherein said means for locking said rigid members together comprises U-shaped members having side legs, said side legs being pivotally connected to the ends of one of said rigid members for pivotal movement to enclose the ends of said other rigid member.

4. A bag in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for securing said lifting brackets to said top frame comprises slots in said top frame, lower threaded portions on said shanks, and cross members secured to the lower ends of said shanks, said cross members being adapted to extend through said slots and lock nuts on said threaded portions.

5. A bag in accordance with claim -1 wherein said means for securing said lifting brackets to a lifting bar comprises hangers, said hangers being secured to said shanks, said hangers having a rectangular eye adapted to receive said lifting bar.

6. A bag in accordance wtih claim 5 wherein said rectangular eyes in said hangers extends at right angles to said cross members.

7. A bag in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rigid top frame includes a transparent document pocket.

8. A bag for handling heavy bulk loads comprising the sub-combination of a plastic body, a rigid top frame, lifting brackets for said top frame, said lifting brackets having shanks, horizontal linear members on said shanks for securing said lifting brackets to said top frame, said frame being provided with spaced parallel slots adapted to receive said linear members when said linear members are aligned with said slots, and a lifting bar, the tops of said lifting brackets comprising eyes opening at an angle to said linear members and a central vertical dividing member in each eye, said bar comprising a bifurcated portion at each end receivable in said eye embracing said central vertical dividing member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 819,576 5/ 1906 McCabe 294-8l 3,015,407 1/1962 Fesmire et a1. 29467.'4 3,124,385 3/ 1964 Neptune 29489 3,282,621 11/1966 Peterson 294-67.4 3,343,861 9/1967 Sinicki 294-81 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 29481 

